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La Dauphine
Franschhoek, Western Cape
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| La Dauphine was a farm granted to and settled by E(s)tienne Niel in 1710, the land having been measured out for and settled by him in 1694. His direct descendants died out in the next generation. His brother, Guillaume, was the founder of the family, the name of which is to-day written as Nel. Estienne Niel escaped arrest by WA van der Stel, by giving false names — two on two separate occasions. The house was probably built by Daniel Jacobsz, as these initials appear, as do those of his wife, Sara Mare, all with the date 1804, on the front-gable. It is an unusual four-pilaster gable with a heavy horizontal moulding atop of the central pilasters, without pediment, but with a rope-like garlanded urn instead. There are unusual scrolls resting on the outer pilasters. The back gable of this H-shaped house is more conventional, with a pediment flanked by urns, and two winged scrolls. The front door has kept its good classical architrave in plaster, while the outer gable pilasters continue the pilasters on the façade below. The stoep has a flight of steps and wraps around the ends of the front wings. The back facade retains casements irregularly spaced as well as having a mock door, simulated in relief plasterwork. The end-gables resemble those of Bien Donne, with cap separated into two scrolls. La Dauphine, which had been superficially Victorianised, was well restored by GT FAGAN in 1968 for which he won a Merit Award from the South African Institute of Architects. The two-tone treatment of the facade does the fullest justice to the fine proportions and festive plasterwork. Extracted and edited from Fransen p 286, De Bosdari p 83. The building was restored in 1968 by Gabriël Theron FAGAN for which he received an Award of Merit from the South African Institute of Architects. Books that reference La Dauphine
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